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Regional Updates On COVID Surge And An Appalachian Family Love Story This West Virginia Morning

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On this West Virginia Morning, we learn what it was like to grow up in southern West Virginia in the early 1900s. Also, we hear updates from around the region on coronavirus spread, cold weather preparations and the latest on a federal bill that would provide greater transparency at veterans hospitals.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is offering another round of assistance to heat low-income residents’ homes. As Caitlin Tan reports, this comes as colder months are setting in and the economic future is uncertain, due to the pandemic.

As cases of the coronavirus continue to rise in West Virginia and parts of the country, governors in two of West Virginia’s bordering states joined other governors to issue warnings and direction about the upcoming cold weather and the holidays. Gov. Andy Beshear from Kentucky and Gov. Mike DeWine from Ohio joined five other governors to create a video to deliver the message. WEKU’s Stu Johnson shares more.

The rate of COVID-19 infection has overwhelmed contact tracers in two Kentucky counties. Public health experts warn that without intervention, the growing number of cases will also overwhelm the state’s healthcare system. WFPL’s Ryan Van Velzer reports.

Ohio is implementing a new health order that officials believe could slow the spread of coronavirus. Cases in the state have also skyrocketed in recent weeks. Aaron Payne has more.

Congress has finished work on a bill that would provide greater transparency at veterans hospitals across the nation. As Dave Mistich reports, the legislation came after a string of murders at a VA medical facility in West Virginia.

Nellie Canterbury was born in 1933 in a mountain home above the railroad town of Hinton. She was the fifth of six girls and is the last surviving sister from her family today. She is also a writer.

In her book “The Visit,” she writes about her family from the time her parents met to when her mother died. It is a family love story, told as she and one of her sisters sit down for a visit to discuss their lives. The story goes into detail about their farm lives, growing up, preparing their meals and going to church.

Aunt Nellie, as she prefers to be called, explained that she changed the names of the characters in the book slightly, but it is based on her own life and a series of actual visits with her older sister. Eric Douglas spoke with her over Zoom to learn more about the book and her life.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

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